Insulator fitting



Jun-e 2131921.

5. E. ECKERT INSULATOR FITTING Filed Dec. 28, 1920 wg m if w" "INVENTOR GRHNDON CKERT monngvs Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANDON n. 'noxnn r, F EAST n'rvnnnoon, onro, assre'iv'on Tome. a. THOMAS & sons o0.,-oF EAST LIVERPOOL, 01110, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

IN SULATOR FITTING.

' cable; The particular objectof my invention is to provide a terminal fitting with f which mechanical connection can be readily made to the heads of the link and suspension device without the use of clamping bolts or the like, the fitting being provided with appropriate means movable into and outer position to free or to leek the connection so made.

In the accompanyingdrawings-- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fitting in which mylinvention is embodied in one form, showing cooperating elements associated therewith; I

Fig. 2 is a broken inverted plan thereof; and

Figs. 3 and 1 are respectively sections on the lines and 4l, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the invention ishere embodied in a one-piece, hollow casting 5 of elongated ellipsoidal shape in plan and slight depth compared to the length. Adjacent opposite ends of the casting are lateral entry gates 6- and 7 opening to the interior of the casting'through one sidewall thereof, and having associated channels 8 which extend through thelower or inner (toward the insulator) wall of the fitting to the longitudinal axis thereof. Inasmuch as the entry openings 6 and 7 are formed above the level of the bottom or inner wall of the casting, and are of greater width than the channels 8, the portions 9 of the side wall below the entry apertures or gates 6 and 7 form retaining lips which engage the heads 10 of the link 11 and prevent their lateral escape when socketed in the fitting with their shanks lying in the channels 8.

A similar entry aperture 12 spaced betweenthe gates 6 and 7 is opened through the same lateral wall of the fitting, but with its associated channel 13 extending through the top or outer (away from the insulator) wall thereof. This aperture 12 is saced downward from the top Wall of the tting and the portions 14. of the side wall bounding the channel 18 form a stop preventing the lateral escape of the head 15 of the Suspension device 16 when socketed in the fit ting with its shank lying in the channel 13. Opening through the side wall of the fitting opposite that 01' the entry gates 6, 7 and 12 are holes 17, 18 and 19 lying in substantially the same horizontal plane and accommodating thev spring cotte'rs 20. The holes 17 and 18 opposite end gates 6 and 7 for the link heads, are located adjacent the top or outer wall of the'fitting, while the hole 19 for the head of the suspension device opensadjacent the bottom or inner wall of the fitting-that is to say, in each case adjacent the wall opposite that from which the retaining lips 9 and 1 1, respectively, rise. Consequently, since the width of the cotter pins is predetermined with respect to the thickness of the heads 10 and 15, they serve, when inserted, to block the escape of these heads from their lateral entry gates by hold ing the heads in'the plane of the retaining lips 9 and 141. These cotter pins -are preferably of the type shown in my co-pending application Ser. No.413,855, filed September 80, 1920, and patented June 12, 1923, No. 1,458,811 and have heads 21 preventing their complete insertionthrough th-e'holes 17, 1.8 and 19, integral spring legs having offset feet 22,]prevent'ing accidental complete witlidrawal, and intermediate outwardly bowed points 23 forming shoulders which cooperate with the heads 21 to hold the cotters in inserted obstructing position.

As here shown, the entry apertures or gates 6, 7 11116112 all open through the same side wall ofth'e fitting. and the cotterholes through the opposite side walls. This construction facilitates assembly as well. as manufacture, and has the advantage that the lineman is not apt to forget to push in any of the cot-tors after assembling the link and suspension devices, since all of the cotters project from the same side of the fitting. It'is of course understood that the cotters are shifted in their holes to move them out of obstructing position during assembly of the parts, and after the heads are socketed in the fitting the cotters are then pressed inward again to the obstructing position indicated in the drawing. Although the cotters are of spring metal they are positioned edgewise with respect to the heads, and thus i'orm rigid stops.

Inasmuch as the link 11 is as short as possible, and therefore holds the insulator 2% close to the fitting, the bottom or inner wall of the latter is preferably arched, as at- 25, to acconnnodate the hub 26 of the insulator during the assembly of the link heads with the fitting. The upper or outer wall of the fitting follows the general curvature of the inner wall, but its rise from the straight end portions is slightly accentuated to afford a fiat 2? against which the head 15 of the suspension device is seated. This slightly arched construction has the effect, furthermore, of strengthening the fitting in the mid-area, which is engaged by the suspension device.

The construction as a whole is extremely simple, and presents the advantages not only of economy in manufacture and simplicity of attachment, but also of eliminating the necessity for clamping bolts and nuts, which are apt to become loose or lost. Inasmuch as the spring cotters are carried by the fitting at all times, the lineman is relieved of the necessity of supplying himself with supplemental fastening devices, or, at most, he need carry but a few spring cotters in his pocket to replace any that may be found broken or lost. The construction has the further advantage that when the cotter pin is urawn outof obstructing position in order to make or break connection between the associated parts and the fitting, its projecting position serves as a reminder to the lineman to press it inward to locking position.

As shown, the fitting is hollow. It would of course be a simple matter to reinforce it by arranging tie webs connecting the inner and outer walls between the gates 6, 7 and 12, if additional strength were demanded of the fitting. Various other modifications of detail construction will readily occur to those dealing with this fitting without departing from what I claim as my invention, the underlying thought of which is a one-piece structure provided with laterally open walls with channels extending respectively toward with the fitting and adapted to be moved into and out of obstructing position in the several walls for the purpose set forth.

1 claim A terminal fitting for link-type insulators,

said fitting comprising a hollow casting at" n fording an interior chamber bounded by spaced side walls and spaced top and bottom walls, the bottom wall being concaved and the top wall being arched, and the side walls converging toward opposite ends of the casting, the bottom wall of the chamber adjacent its opposite ends being shaped to afford interior seats for the anchor heads of an associated U-link, and the top wall being shaped at an intern'iediate point to afford an interior seat for the anchor head of a suspension device, one of the side walls of the fitting being apertured to afford three Tslot gates, two of which extend through the bottom wall of the chamber to accommodate the shanks of the U-link when its anchor heads rest in the seats in said bottom wall, and one of which extends through the top wall of the fitting to accommodate the shank of the suspension device when its anchor head rests in the intermediate seat, the opposite side wall of the fitting being apertured adjacent the top wall of the fitting at opposite ends thereof and substantially in register with said T-slot gates, and also being apertured adjacent the bottom wall of the fitting at a point substantially in register with the intermediate T-slot gate, said apertures serving to accommodate tiller pins which prevent the inserted anchor heads from escaping through the T-slot gates of the fitting.

In testimony whereof I have signed by name to this specification.

GRANDON E. ECKERI. 

